Five Years of Blessing

Hannah turned five years old this August. She is a blessing to our family. Her quiet spirit and gentle ways bring much calmness to our home. Thoughtful, helpful, caring, fragile, tender are just a few words that come to mind when I think of Hannah.

The gang gathers to honor Sister. Hannah takes it all in. . .
Hannah loves animals, especially horses. Because she is so calm and quiet, animals love Hannah, too. Even Frijilito ( Cousin Emily's dog) sat on Hannah's lap. She named this beautiful horse "Sugary Rose."Daddy and Hannah head off for their birthday date to Red Robin and Chuckie Cheese! Always a special night for the birthday kid.

This is just a precious video. . .

God the All

O GOD WHOSE WILL CONQUERS ALL,

There is no comfort in anything apart from enjoying Thee and being engaged in Thy service,
Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me Thou makest them, and no more.
I am well pleased with Thy will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects,
And if Thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair, I would choose to refer all to Thee,
for Thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss, as I am in danger of doing.
I rejoice to think that all things are at Thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise, and all I can do is to adore and bless Thee.
What shall I give Thee for all Thy benefits?
I am in a strait betwixt two, knowing not what to do;
I long to make some return, but have nothing to offer, and can only rejoice that Thou doest all,
that none in Heaven or on earth shares Thy honour; I can of myself do nothing to glorify Thy blessed name, but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to Thee,
I know that Thou art the author and finisher of faith, that the whole work of redemption is Thine alone, that every good work or thought found in me is the effect of Thy power and grace, that Thy sole motive in working in me to will and to do is for Thy good pleasure.
O God, it is amazing that men can talk so much about man's creaturely power and goodness, when, if Thou didst not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate.
This, by bitter experience, Thou hast taught me concerning myself.

The Valley of Vision

Family- Driven Faith

The following is a conversation that took place a few moments ago between Hannah (4) and Naomi (3). I was choosing a video for them to watch.

Hannah: I wonder which one Mom will pick?
Naomi: I don't know, but God knows.
Hannah: Naomi, He knew you were going to say that before you said that!
Naomi: Yeah.
Interlude of silence
Naomi: I hope it's Little Mermaid. I like Little Mermaid.
Hannah: But you wouldn't want to be her.
Naomi: No! She's immodest and disobeys her daddy.

Mom: No, we aren't watching Little Mermaid. . . . how about Little Einsteins?

Interestingly, as I was listening to the girls my thoughts immediately concluded with "out of the mouths of babes". . .and I stopped up short. While this might be true, these girls didn't have this conversation randomly as if they came to these conclusions on their own. No, this precious interchange is the result of a family-driven faith. A faith that is, by God's grace, lived out and spoken throughout our days together. A Gospel-centered home doesn't just happen. Hungry for more on the subject? Read Family-Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. He helps unpack the biblical truths on why parents are the primary cultivators of their childrens' souls. Happy sowing!

Forgotten. . .

Looking over an old post, I realized I forgot to post our locks-of-love shot. Hannah, Bekah, Sarah and I were planning on donating our hair (prompted by Sarah last year). Mine is obviously the shortest, but I was also the least patient once triple digits arrived!
All the girls! That's a lot of hair! Hannah and Sarah decided they weren't ready yet. . .but Bekah and enjoyed the chop! Here's Bek with her new summer doo, which works great in and out of the pool and heat.

God is the Gospel. . .

I've been enjoying this short read by Desiring God on the Gospel and children. Here is an excerpt I have appreciated:

"Imagine a family going for a boat ride on a beautiful summer day on Lake Superior. Being the careful parents that they are, each child is wearing a new life jacket, the best that money can buy. The kids love the jackets because they have neat child-friendly designs and colors. The children are now safe in the unlikely event that the boat should sink or be overwhelmed by waves. But there is something that the parents and children have not taken into account. Lake Superior is very cold. Even in the summer, the water temperature hovers around 55 F. So as wonderful as those life jackets may seem, and as much as the parents and children feel safe in the event of the boat being overwhelmed, the real danger remains unforeseen and unplanned for - hypothermia. In the event that the family is tossed into the water and is left to float, eventually the frigid temperature of the water will kill them.

Unfortunately, the "gospel" that we often present to children is like those life jackets. It is a gospel that we think will protect and save our children, but it is not the safety assurance that we envision it to be. And it may be that while our children think they are safely bound for eternal life in heaven, in reality they continue their slow but dangerous "float" in the deadly waters of hell. Why is this so? Because it is not the Gospel of Scripture.

How have we changed the true life-saving Gospel into child-friendly and colorful but ineffective life jacket? Here are a few characteristics of this changed gospel and why it is so deadly: This changed gospel puts man at the center instead of God. It presents a plan instead of a Person. It seeks to comfort but not convict. It is a message that calls for acceptance of Christ but not repentance. It simply encourages acknowledging true facts rather than embracing and submitting to the One who is both Savior and Lord. It enslaves men to works instead of freeing them to do good works.

But that's not all this "gospel" states. It claims to save by man's decisive choice instead of God's sovereign grace. It promises affirmation instead of radical transformation. It exalts man and the desire to be loved instead of exalting God's love displayed in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who alone brings us near to God so that we might experience the immeasurable joy of making much of Him."

To make much of Him! God must be the Gospel!

Birthday Girl, Bekah!

June has been a blur of activities, starting with precious Bek's birthday! She enjoyed many special days and special dates with special people. This was her year to pick a party! We enjoyed a fun and loud evening at Chuckie Cheese with four special friends! Turning seven is just special.

Unfortunately, mom can't find the photos. . so pictures pending!

I'm no Kate. . .

It's been an eventful month with birthdays, ministry and vacation. I have lots to "catch-up" on and look forward to getting it all recorded here on the Blog.

But, a friend passed on this article to me today and I said a loud "Amen!" There is a rarely a day where some well-meaning person doesn't comment about our family and make reference to "Jon and Kate plus Eight." Maybe it's the Filipino husband or the seven little ones in tow. . . . but we are no "Jon and Kate."

I could say a lot more, but I appreciated Elizabeth's words on the subject as well. Having only watched one episode it was all I could handle. I feel such pity for a mom who has sold her soul (and worse, her children and marriage) for wealth, fame, comforts, accolades and man's empty praise. I love my kids. I adore my husband. I am no Kate.

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